ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · rash · mark · leaves · swing · court · file · key

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. court — of law
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. file — a line of people
  5. court — of a king
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mark — a grade
  10. file — a tool
  11. swing — music
  12. file — a document
  13. swing — to play on
  14. court — for sport
  15. rash — a series
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. key — for a lock
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. key — in music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mark — a trace
  24. swing — in golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com